Paint and varnish remover



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

QARLETON ELLIS, MONTOLAIR, NEW JERSEY.

No Drawing.

. "To all wkom'z't may concern.-

Be it known that I, CARLETON ELLIS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Montclajrj in the county of Essex, Statepf New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Paint and VarnishRemovers, of which the following is 'a specificati'on.

This invention relates to paint and varnish remover and in particular toremoving compositions containing organic acid material of a non-volatileor slightly volatile character including such acids as carbolic,cresylic and the like.

For a general run of paint and varnish coatings the removing compositionlargely used is one prepared according to Letters Patent No. 714,880,embodying in its more specific aspects a volatile solvent such .asbenzol, a volatile alcoholic body or loosening solvent such as methylalcohol or acetone and a quantity of waxy evaporation retardingmaterial, preferably, however, without any substantial amount ofstrongly acid ma terial, as such acomposition is more advantageouslyused when it is of a substantially neutral character. The addition ofacid such as carbolic acid, is not precluded so long as the operativecharacter of the remover is,not affected. For some purposes,

- however,'a quantity of non-volatile or only slightly volatile organicacid material has been thought desirable in such compositions, butheretofore if carbolic acid or similar material were used in any largeproportion, its caustic and corrosive action'on the materials with whichit contacts, and its offensive odor, rendered such remover highlyobjectionable to the operator. The preparation of certain classes ofso-called non-inflammable removers sometimes calls for the use ofcarbolic acid or phenol in relatively large quantity, as for example,the Government requirement for a paint and varnish remover regarded assafe to have aboard battleships andthe like without danger of inflaming.When the composition is being used in confined and possibly heatedspaces where the vapors emanating from'a more volatile composition mighttravel to a distance and in some manner become ignited, it is roposed touse forty per cent. or so of car olic acid together with othernon-inflammable solvents for such purpose. Heretofore it has been commonto use fusel oil,

PAINT AND VARNISH REMOVER.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J an, 13, 19,20,

Application filed December 4, 1917. Serial No. 205,335. I

veliminate the corrosive or other objectionable characteristics ofcarbolic acid and s1m1lar substances where for special reasons these arepresent in removers in considerable proportion.

It has been demonstrated that carbolic acid is peculiarly corrosive tothe skin when it contains a proportion of water and that in the absenceof water its corrosive qualities are, much-less. I propose, therefore,in

compounding the carbolic acid remover of thls invention, preferablyeither to use ingredients containing substantially no water or to addingredients that will wholly or substantially eliminate any water thatmay be present or mitigate its effects. In ad dition I propose usingingredients that preferably have a chemical or physical action thatneutralizes or otherwise minimizes the corrosiveaction of the carbolicacid or similar substance. For example, if in the compounding of acarbolic acid remover along the lines above indicated, the materialsused, be substantially anhydrous and particularly if among theseingredients glycerin which is substantially anhydrous be included theresultant remover will have substantially no corrosive action even whencarbolic acid is present to the extent of twenty-five or thirty percent. or so. If, however, a small amount of water be added to suchcarbolated glycerin the corrosive action of the carbolic acid at oncebecomes manifest. According to the preferred form of the presentinvention a composition containing fifteen to twenty-five per cent.ofcarbolic acid or its, homologues or other large percentages, as forexample, the forty per cent. carbolic acid composition called for by theUnited States Navy specifications for ships use, may be preparedyielding a' product in which the usual very marked unpleasantcharacteristics of such proportion of carbolic acid are largelyminimized and which in many ways approaches the remover of thecomposition covered by the formulae v of Ellis Patent No. 714,880.

Glycerin is particularly desirable as an ingredient of the presentremover in'that it not only contains a hydroxyl body that offsets theacid hydroxyl of carbolic acid acid hydroxyl of carbolic material.

and its homologues, but it also has an independent beneficial effectupon the skin and furthermore it is substantially non-volatile. Inspecifying the glycerin as a desirable element, however, it is notintended that any limitation be imposed thereby as to other similarhydroxyl or equivalent bodies possessing the same palliative action oncarbolic acid and possessing beneficial or'at least no unpleasant actionon the skin.

The composition preferably should have its content of water, if any bepresent, adjusted with respect to the carbolic acid content, dueconsideration being had for any physico-chemical laws which govern thisphenomenon probably involve conditions of dissociation and associationdependent upon the mutual action of these three types of hydroxyl. Whencooperating in a sphere of action such as'may obtain in the compositionabove set forth, the presenceof a nonvolatile body such as glycerinhaving three hydroxyl groups is therefore advantageous.

When a considerable proportion of carbolic acid is present and alcohol,acetone or similar substances ordinarily used in the manufacture ofremover are employed, the alcohol or acetone shou-ld desirably bepresent in an amount excessive from the removing standpoint and thealcohol, acetone or similar substances should preferably be"substantially anhydrous. Desirable results are obtained when theproportions are:

Alcohol (Acetone) Phenol The relations also may be expressed on thebasis of the stoichiometrical relations of the several types'of hydroxylembraced in the foregoing, which relation points to the possibleformation of desirable complexes possessing a minimum of corrosiveaction and a maximum of useful solvent in the generality of cases.

Thepresent invention therefore relates to The consistency, as thecase'may' be, in'which composition the corrosiveness of the organic acidmedium is minimized by a suflicient degree of reduction of impuritiestending to cause corrosive action. The corrosive action mayalso beoffset by the presence of an element capable of inhibiting or largely.re-

ducing the ordinary corrosive action of the acid substance. Byeliminating or reducing the amount of water from the ingredients used inthe preparation of a remover containing carbolic acid or its homologuesor in eliminating the Water from the remover-when compounded, thecorrosive action of the carbolic acid orits homologues will be largelyprevented and the presence in such remover of glycerin or its equivalentwhich has an inhibiting effect u on the corrosive action of the carbolicacid will add to the harmlessness of such remover. By using syntheticcarbolic acidin compounding my present remover the objectionable odorformerly connected with crude carbolic acid removers will be eliminated.In the mixtures of carbolic acid and moisturecontaining fusel oil, suchashave. been employed in the'past to some extent for certain purposes,the objectionable corrosive action and odor were particularly apparent.According-to the present invention a composition is derived whichsupplants such mixtures and affords a paint remover'in which serious ormarked unpleasant. action is larigely reduced or eliminated.

11 several of my applications attention.

has been called to methods of dehydrating materials or of producingremovers of an anhydrous nature by commingling various water freedsolvents; as for example in Serial No. 360387, filed March 4, 1907,mention is made of calcium oxid as an antacid material which will also,of course, dehydrate organic solvents containing moisture. As stated inSerial No. 67 5,215, filed February 3, 1912, ethyl alcohol when used inremoving compositions of the character mentioned is preferablydehydrated as by drying the commercial alcohol over quick lime forseveral da s and .then decanting the dehydrated alco 01 from the lime.In the same application it is stated that the loosening solventincorporated should be preferably the alcohols and other looseningfinish solvents having a relatively high flash point and beingsubstantially; immiscible in" character or as being relatively freefrom.

water, which minimi'zes'the hydrolytic decomposition in the case ofincorporated chlorinated solvents. The following formulais giventherein: 50 parts turpentine; 20

parts carbolic acid with or without 30 parts benzyl alcohol and parts ofparaflin wax.

In the same application, as also in Serial. No. 653773, filed October10, 1911, the following formula is given: cresylic benzyl ester 40parts; benzyl alcohol parts;

benzyl acetate parts.

Another desirable composition may comprise 50 parts of solvent naphtha;5 to 25 parts of carbon tetra-chlorid; 25 parts of cresole or creosoteand 5 parts of paraffin wax. I

In Serial No. 615,711 filed March 20, 1911,

which contains subject matter taken frommy application Serial .No. 361,7 19 filed March 27, 1907, and Serial No. 598,398 filed December 20,1910, the following formulae appear: carbolic acid 20 gals; benzol 13gals; denatured or wood alcohol 20 gals;

, wood flour 10 lbs; ceresin wax 5 lbs. caustic soda 2 to 6 lbs.

And also, carbolic acid 25 gals; benzol 25 gals; wood alcohol 20 gals;ceresin wax 4 lbs; light oxid of magnesia 50 lbs.

, In Serial No. 574,708, filed July30, 1910, the following formulaappears: ortho-anisidin 20 parts; naphthenic acid 20 parts;mono-chlorcresol 20 parts, vceresin wax 5 parts. 3

According' to the procedure given in Serial No. 592,342, filed November10, 1910, sulfuric acid is used to dehydrate the materials employed.

This application contains subject matter from the foregoing applicationspending at the time of filing the latest application above, mentioned orduring the pendency of the latter.

The present invention preferably seeks to minimize the corrosive actionof carbolic acid and its homologues especially in removing compositionsof 'high acid content as stated either by using solvents renderedsubstantially or more nearly anhydrous'before combination in the removeror. sufficiently by dehydrating the solvents after paraffin wax.

they have been mixed to form the remover, which corrosive action mayalso be lessened by using an inhibiting agent as glycerin.

An example of such composition is the following: 50 'parts. of dryturpentine; 20

parts carbolic acid crystals and 2 parts If synthetic carbolic acid beused, such as is provided by mixing benzol with sulfuric acid to formthe sulfonate, with subsequent alkali fusion and ultimate liberation ofthe carbolic acid, the usual highly disagreeable odor of carbolic'acidwill be eliminated, and if such-acid be distilled or otherwise purifiedto render it fairly dry its corrosiveness will be reduced, Y

Another illustrative composition consists of 50 parts of turpentine; .25partsof car- -bolic acid and 5 parts of glycerin.

Another composition consists of 10 parts,

carbolic acid, 10 parts glycerin, 10 parts denatured alcohol and therequisite amount of waxy material.

Another illustrative composition consists of orthoanisidin 20 parts,naphthemc ac d.

20 parts, monochlorcresol 20 parts, ceresm wax 5 parts. The materials,in the examples given are anhydrous or substantially so or thecomposition is maintained in an anhydrous state by the addition of asmall amount of quicklime or dry sodium sulfate which may be addedwheredesired, to in-' dryness of the comthe corrosive action which wouldbe in evidence in the presence of substantial amounts of water.

In this connection it should be stated that dehydration need not becarried to the extreme in many cases as the removal, under ordinaryconditions, of the water should take place only sufficiently to minimizethe action of the high percentage, of carbolic acid to the extentrequired.

Another formula comprises cresylic ben zyl esters 40 parts, benzylalcohol 10 parts,

benzyl acetate 15 parts and glycerin 3 parts.

By the use of synthetic carbolic acid the unpleasant tarry odor ofordinary carbolic acid-is eliminated to a very considerable ex tent andby eliminating suchjobjectionable constituents as crude wet fusel oiland using solvents of aunore desirable and effectivecharacteracomposition is obtained which has a not unpleasant odor and does nothave the more objectionable corrosive and discoloring actionthatcharacterized the ordi-' nary carbolic acid composition.

ommercial benzol is free from water and glycerin of good quality is alsosubstantially free from water. Anhydrous wood alcohol and, grain alcoholand acetone can ordinarily be procured if especially, demanded.

"If desired these ingredients may, however,

be specially dried before used in my remover or the remover may bedehydrated as above explained by the addition of quicklime, dry sodiumsulfate or some Whether the action betweeni glycerin and carbolic acidis chemical or hysical is perhaps not settled, but the act isdemonsimilar agent.

strated that these substances have a marked assimilative capacity oraflinity for each other and that the presence of glycerin materiallyreduces the corrosive and seemingly also the poisonous qualities ofcarbolic acid and its homologues. A simple and eifective remover canbemade up under my present invention as follows: benzol parts, grainalcohol (or methyl acetone) 30 parts, carbolic acid 24 parts, glycerin12 parts and paraflin wax as desired.

, Another simple and effective formula is, carbolic acid SO parts,glycerin 30. parts, benzaldehyde 20 parts and benzol 20 parts. To theseformulae may be added, if desired, about 5 per cent. of quicklime,sodium sulfate or similar dehydrator.

In the foregoing formulae containing waxy evaporation retardingmaterial, it will be noted that only a relatively small amount of waxymaterial in comparison with the solvents employed is indicated. The useof this relatively small amount of evaporation retarding materialenables the production of liquid or fluent compositions adapted forready application to surfaces from which the paint and varnish coatingsareto be removed as in the manner shown in the art.

Having thus described my invention in connection with illustrativeformulae to the details of which I do not wish to be limited, what Iclaim is:

1. A paint and varnish remover consisting of phenol, finish solventmaterial, glycerin, wax and moisture.

, 2. A paint and varnish remover consisting of a phenolic body, finishsolvent material, glycerin, wax and moisture.

3. A paint'and varnish remover consisting of a phenolic body, finishsolvent material, glycerin, a waxy body and moisture.

4;. A paint and varnish remover consisting of a phenolic body, finishsolvent ma-- terial, a hydroxy palliative agent for the' phenolic body,a waxy body and moisture.

' CARLETON ELLIS.

